LIVERPOOL, APRIL 5 – Sam Maxwell hopes to walk in the footsteps of Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton by winning the IBO super-lightweight world title later this month.

The 33-year-old faces Alejandro Meneses at Probellum Liverpool on April 22 on a massive night of world championship boxing in one of Britain’s boxing hotbeds.

Maxwell’s crack at the IBO belt will act as chief support to the main event which sees local hero Paul Butler challenge WBO bantamweight champion John Riel Casimero, at the M&S Bank Arena.

The unbeaten Maxwell, a Commonwealth Games bronze medallist in the amateurs, stayed up into the early hours of the morning to watch Pacquiao and Hatton’s 2009 mega fight in Las Vegas, when the IBO crown was on the line.

Maxwell, nicknamed ‘Super Sam’, finds it surreal that he will now be competing for that same title later this month in front of a packed arena in Liverpool.

“My career has been building to this moment,” said the 16-0 Sam Maxwell.

“I won the WBO European title, then British and the Commonwealth belts and how I have this huge fight for the IBO world title.

“I feel lucky to be handed this opportunity and I will make the most of it.

“Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao have held the title so it’s a belt with a lot of history.

“I watched those Hatton and Pacquiao fights, including when they fought each other, and so it is absolutely crazy to think I will now be fighting for that title.”

‘A LIFE CHANGING MOMENT’ – read our full interview with Sam Maxwell here

Richard Schaefer, President of Probellum said: “The 140lbs division is on fire now and by winning the IBO world title, Sam can put himself in the frame for some career-defining fights.

“The world of boxing is expecting Josh Taylor to vacate his belts and move up to 147lbs and, as Sam says, that would create massive opportunities in the division for many fighters, including Maxwell.

“Probellum is thrilled to be able to deliver this fight for Sam and put it on a brilliant card in Liverpool later this month. We can’t wait for our first event in one of the UK’s biggest fight cities.”

Probellum, the fastest growing brand in the sport, have signed some of world boxing’s leading fighters in the 140lbs division, since launching in September last year.

Jack Catterall, the People’s Champion, signed for Probellum in March and joined Regis Prograis, who has become the mandatory challenger for the WBC title, following a win over Tyrone McKenna in Dubai.

Lewis Ritson kept his world title aspirations alive with a win over Dejan Zlaticanin in Newcastle last month and is on a collision course with the world ranked Ohara Davies, while former world champion Ricky Burns is part of the Probellum stable and made his comeback in December.

To keep up to date with all of the news from Probellum’s world class stable of 140lbs fighters, sign up to the Probellum?newsletter?or follow Probellum on?Instagram,?Twitter?and?Facebook?

About Probellum???
Launched in September 2021, Probellum is a global boxing promotion and media company, and the fastest-growing brand in the sport.

Probellum’s elite stable of international fighters includes Nonito Donaire, Regis Prograis, Estelle Mossely, Sunny Edwards, Lee McGregor, Donnie Nietes, Dina Thorslund and Muhammad Waseem.

But the company has also recruited the next generation of stars with Peter McGrail, Mark Dickinson and Pat and Luke McCormack and Shabaz Masoud among the young talents under the Probellum umbrella.

Since launching, Probellum has also signed co-promotional partnerships with some of the biggest promoters globally, including DiBella Entertainment (US), Wasserman (Germany), Universum (Germany), GYM (Canada), Maravilla Box (Spain), Team Ellis (Australia), Titov Boxing Promotions (Russia), Volcano Boxing (El Salvador), BXSTRS Promotions (Mexico), PR Best (Puerto Rico) Glozier Boxing (New Zealand), Box Office Sports (Ghana) and LNK Boxing (Latvia).?

ARLINGTON, TX. (April 4, 2022) – Boxing legend Felix “Tito” Trinidad joined WBA Welterweight World Champion Yordenis Ugas for a virtual press conference Monday as the fighters discussed their journeys to boxing glory and previewed Ugas’ upcoming welterweight championship unification clash against WBC and IBF champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. taking place Saturday, April 16 live on SHOWTIME PPV from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas headlining a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The virtual conversation was hosted by SHOWTIME Boxing analyst and former world champion Raúl “El Diamante” Márquez.

Tickets for the April 16 live event at AT&T Stadium, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Man Down Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at SeatGeek.com, the Official Ticketing Provider of AT&T Stadium.

Just the 12th unification fight in the rich history of the welterweight division, Spence vs. Ugas will join other classic unification matchups at the weight class such as “Sugar” Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns I and Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao. Ugas will look to join Trinidad on the list of unified welterweight champions, as Trinidad unified 147-pound belts in a 1999 victory over Oscar De La Hoya.

Here is what the press conference participants had to say Monday:

YORDENIS UGAS

“I remember watching Felix when I was a teenager and he fought against De La Hoya. Everyone in Cuba was talking about that one. That fight really blew my mind. It was amazing to watch Felix go toe-to-toe with Oscar. To see Felix achieve something so incredible was a great inspiration.

“Ismael Salas is one of the best trainers in the world. When I was out of the sport for over two years, I went to the gym with him and he built me back up to where I am now. He’s been a great influence in my boxing career and he’s helped me reach the heights I’ve been able to achieve.

“I love my country, but I am also always asking for a free Cuba, because I want a better future for the country that I represent and love with all of my heart.

“I did my job against Manny Pacquiao. I took the fight on 11 days’ notice. Whatever Spence said about what he would have done against Pacquao, I’m not concerned. I’m only focused on the challenge that I have against Spence.

“I had to leave Cuba on a speedboat, never knowing if I’d see my family again. I didn’t see them for almost a decade. I had to overcome everything alone. Not only professionally, but personally I had a lot to overcome.

“I’m a competitor, I would have put my best foot forward in any decade. I would have loved to fight Trinidad and the other fighters of his era. I could have won, I could have lost, but I would have loved to face those challenges.

“This is such a dream come true to be here talking with one of my idols in Felix Trinidad. It’s truly amazing. I’m very thankful to be in this position.”

FELIX “TITO” TRINIDAD, 2014 International Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee

“When I watched the Manny Pacquiao fight, I watched Ugas represent Cuba in an amazing way. I believe that Ugas can emulate what he did against Pacquiao in the fight against Spence. His speed and precision is going to wow the crowd in this fight.

“This is going to be a fight of a champion against a champion. When I fought De La Hoya, I knew that I had to go all out and couldn’t leave anything in the tank. I believe in Ugas and I believe he’s going to make us all proud.

“Errol is a rangy, tall southpaw. Instead of trying to go up against their right hand, I wanted to let a southpaw throw their biggest shot and dodge it, so that I could deliver my most powerful shot. I’d tell Ugas to let Spence throw that left hand and dodge it.

“I was fortunate as a Puerto Rican and a U.S. citizen where I could always feel the support of my family throughout my career. I had a very close circle of trust and that helped me greatly.

“Ugas’ best attributes are the ones that are most similar to mine. It’s the conditioning and the mentality. He brings what he works on in training and uses it in the fight so well. He brings that preparation into the ring just like I used to. It makes me believe in him and I know that he’s going to do well.

“I would tell Ugas to stay close and be on offense. Don’t let Spence come to you instead. The jab with the right and uppercut with the left is the best combination that will work for you.

“I had a wonderful career with so many memorable experiences and great fights. Now I’m concentrating on my family and this is a chapter I’ve been treasuring a lot. I’m very happy with the life that I’m living now.”

#

ABOUT SPENCE VS. UGAS
Spence vs. Ugas will see WBC and IBF world champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. and WBA world champion Yordenis Ugas square off in a welterweight title unification clash that headlines a SHOWTIME PPV on Saturday, April 16 from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The pay-per-view telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features exciting lightweight contender Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz taking on veteran former world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa in the 10-round co-main event.

The lineup also includes unbeaten Jose Valenzuela battling former world champion Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas in a 10-round lightweight fight, plus unbeaten Cody Crowley faces veteran contender Josesito Lopez in a 10-round duel of all-action welterweights that kicks off the telecast.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #SpenceUgas, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing and @PremierBoxing, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing and @PremierBoxing or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.

TOKYO (April 4, 2022) — Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KOs), from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, boxing’s most dominant middleweight of his era, has brought the Big Drama Show and his IBF and IBO world titles to Japan last week.  Golovkin has crossed the U.S. and the Pacific Ocean to face two-time WBA middleweight champion and Japan’s national hero Ry?ta Murata (16-2, 13 KOs) in a long-awaited world title unification fight.  Promoted by Teiken Promotions, in association with GGG promotions, Golovkin vs. Murata will take place this Saturday, April 4, and will be streamed live from Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, which borders Murata’s hometown of Tokyo, to over 200 countries and territories, including the U.S., exclusively on DAZN (excluding Japan and Kazakhstan).  The DAZN stream start time will be announced shortly.  Golovkin and Murata boast a combined record of 57-3-1, 49 KOs — a winning percentage of over 93% — with 86% of their victories coming by way of knockout. 

Golovkin’s Big Drama Show has packed iconic arenas around the world, selling out Madison Square Garden, The O2 in London, the Fabulous Forum and StubHub Center in Los Angeles, and T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.  Saitama Super Arena is expected to join that illustrious list. Golovkin has been a middleweight world champion every year since 2010, a testament to his discipline, drive, and talent.  His résumé includes a division-record 21 title defenses, 20 of them consecutively, also a division record.       

Here’s what Golovkin trainer Johnathon Banks had to say about Murata, training, and fighting in enemy territory.

“Murata is a winner.  He has proven that as an Olympian, winning the gold medal, and as a professional, winning the WBA title twice.  We know we are in for a tough fight on Saturday.  And while the boxing fans of Japan are some of the best in the world, they will be rooting for their national hero Ry?ta Murata, as they should. 

“For some fighters a home game is a bonus.  When working with Detroit-based fighters at Kronk, I’ve seen them do things in a local fight that shocked me, fighting way above their usual level.  They get a charge from the hometown crowd.  It’s as if a power comes up from the ground under them and gives them an extra boost.  And while that may benefit Murata, Gennadiy will not be intimidated by it.  He’s been fighting on the road for most of his career.  I remember seeing Michael Jordan drop 50-60 points at The Garden.  Playing an away game didn’t seem to bother him.   Gennadiy is the same way.  He knows boxing is also a business and some deals can only get done if they are conducted in someone else’s office.  But Gennadiy never gets distracted.  He is so focused on reunifying the middleweight title belts around his waist. Gennadiy is really looking forward to fighting before this sellout crowd on Saturday.   

“This is our fourth fight together.  We have been building on what Gennadiy has learned while incorporating what made him so special as an amateur, working on the basics –timing, rhythm, and speed.  In boxing, to remain at the elite level, you either evolve or die.  He’s not depending solely on power punching.  I still remember sitting with Emanuel Steward at amateur tournaments and both of us marveling at Gennadiy’s all-round abilities inside the ring.  He was an extraordinary power-punching boxer.  He could do anything he wanted.  He will be forty and a day when he enters the ring on Saturday, and he still approaches training like he’s a young and hungry top-rated contender.  He’s really enjoying himself in the gym and it shows in his work ethic and the results.  Gennadiy’s an athlete’s athlete.”         

Hot From GGG – Murata Media Central

Fight Week Monday Edition

·         GGG interview w/ Teddy Atlas – Murata fight, Canelo, Legacy, and More – YouTube

·         Gennady Golovkin responds to Canelo Álvarez: ‘What have you been waiting for?’ – YouTube

·         Episode 209 – GGG – Walking The Floor

·         Gennadiy Golovkin 1-on-1 with Kevin Iole (yahoo.com)

·         Gennadiy Golovkin: Rivalry with Canelo Alvarez Doesn’t Define My Career (bleacherreport.com)

·         Golovkin ‘Bewildered’ By Fact Canelo Says Third Fight Personal To Him; It’s Cheap, Kind Of Low – Boxing News (boxingscene.com)

·         Golovkin says he’s not looking past Murata to Canelo trilogy | Reuters

·         Gennady Golovkin has ‘no bad blood’ with Canelo Alvarez but slams ‘unprofessional’ rival for claiming feud was personal (thesun.co.uk)

·         GGG Responds to Canelo: His ‘Behavior Is Indecent’ (espn.com.ar)

·         Gennadiy Golovkin expects an “action-packed fight” with Murata, is ready (not desperate) for Canelo – YouTube

·         Golovkin ‘Feels Great At My Age,’ But Admits Fighting At 40 ‘Might Be One Of My Issues’ – Boxing News (boxingscene.com) 

·         Gennady Golovkin, 39, shows off ripped physique as coach says Canelo ‘waited for him to get old’ before agreeing trilogy (thesun.co.uk)

·         Gennady Golovkin open to UK boxing return but admits US is still No1 fight destination amid Canelo Alvarez trilogy talk (thesun.co.uk)

·         5 Live Boxing with Steve Bunce – Josh Warrington and Triple G – BBC Sounds

·         Gennady Golovkin open to UK boxing return but admits US is still No1 fight destination amid Canelo Alvarez trilogy talk (thesun.co.uk)

·         Gennadiy Golovkin can fight ‘into his early 40s’: promoter (msn.com)

COSTA MESA, Calif. (April 4, 2022) — Australia’s Andrew Moloney hopes to earn another junior bantamweight world title shot in 2022. In order to do so, he’ll have to get past an upset-minded veteran from Northern California.

Moloney will face Gilberto Mendoza in an eight-rounder this Saturday, April 9, at The Hangar at the Orange County Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, California. Moloney-Mendoza will open the televised tripleheader headlined by WBO/IBF junior lightweight world champion Mikaela Mayer’s title defense against Jennifer Han.

Mayer-Han, the welterweight co-feature between Giovani Santillan and Jeonvanis Barraza, and Moloney-Mendoza will air live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Moloney (22-2, 14 KOs), a former WBA 115-pound world champion, lost his title via unanimous decision to Joshua Franco in June 2020. Moloney and Franco fought to a controversial no-contest in their November 2020 rematch, and their trilogy concluded last August with Franco retaining his title by decision. Moloney returned to action in December in Sydney, Australia, winning a wide points verdict over Froilan Saludar. Mendoza (19-11-3, 10 KOs), from Modesto, California, has not been stopped in more than a decade and has gone the distance with the likes of former world champions Angel Acosta and Rau’shee Warren.

Moloney said, “I’m grateful that my fight will be live on ESPN, and I will show everyone that I am a much better fighter than what they saw from me against Franco. I’m looking to make a statement in this fight and move closer to another world title.”

Undercard action will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT) and will feature the following bouts.

• Two-time bantamweight world title challenger Jason Moloney (22-2, 18 KOs), last seen defeating top contender Joshua Greer Jr., will face Francisco Pedroza (17-10-2, 10 KOs) in a bout scheduled for 10 or 8 rounds.
   
• Floyd “Cashflow” Diaz (3-0), the 18-year-old junior featherweight sensation from Las Vegas, steps up against the once-beaten Blake Quintana (4-1, 1 KO) in a six-rounder. Diaz turned pro in February 2021 following a storied amateur career at the junior level.
   
• Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medalist Duke Ragan (4-0, 1 KO) makes his long-awaited professional return versus Diuhl Olguin (15-21-5, 10 KOs) in a six-rounder at featherweight.
   
• Ragan’s Olympic teammate, Virginia Fuchs, makes her highly anticipated professional debut against Randee Lynn Morales (4-3, 2 KOs) in a six-rounder at flyweight. In addition to her appearance at the Tokyo Olympics, Fuchs earned a bronze medal at the 2018 World Championships and silver at the 2019 Pan American Games.
   
• IBF No. 1 featherweight contender Luis Alberto Lopez (24-2, 13 KOs), fresh off his title eliminator knockout victory over Isaac Lowe, will fight Raul Chirino (19-13, 12 KOs) in an eight-rounder. Lopez has won seven straight fights, a streak that’s included wins over Andy Vences and Gabriel Flores Jr. 

In additional undercard action, which will take place before the ESPN+ stream (3 p.m. PT), Mexican junior welterweight prospect Lindolfo Delgado (14-0, 12 KOs) will fight an opponent to be named in an eight-rounder, and 2021 National Golden Gloves silver medalist Angel Hernandez will make his professional debut versus Victor Saravia (1-2, 1 KO) in a four-rounder at featherweight.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Englebrecht Promotions & Events, tickets starting at $60 are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting www.socafights.com.

Los Angeles, CA (April 4, 2022) Triller Fight Club has announced that heavyweight contender Jerry ‘The Slugger’ Forrest, (26-4-2, 20 KOs), of Newport News, VA will now face two-time world title challenger Kubrat ‘The Cobra’ Pulev (28-2 14 KOs), over ten rounds at the ‘Lineage of Greatness’ event set for Saturday, May 14 at the Forum in Los Angeles. The hard-throwing southpaw, Forrest, replaces Andrey Fedesov who was previously scheduled to face Pulev.

Forrest returns to battle following a hotly contested split-decision draw against top-rated heavyweight contender Michael Hunter on December 2, 2021 at the Hammerstein Ballroom

in New York City headlining TrillerVerz IV. Earlier last year, Forrest battled to a majority draw against undefeated contender Zhilei Zhang, the fight taking place in Miami, FL at the Hard Rock Stadium on the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez / Avril Yildirim Super Middleweight World Title Fight.

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The Trillerverz 5 ‘Lineage of Greatness’  includes legendary boxing families and a once-in-a-lifetime VERZUZ battle between Cypress Hill and Onyx. This event at the Forum is the perfect night for sports and entertainment, whether you are in the arena or in the comfort of your home streaming it with family and friends.

Tickets starting at $31.00 are now on-sale through TrillerFightClub.com, TheLAForum.com, and Ticketmaster.com at http://www.ticketmaster.com/trillerverz5

The full TrillerVerz V boxing card includes:

                SERGEY KOVALEV VS. TERVEL PULEV (10 Rounds / Cruiserweight)

Sergey Kovalev last fought evenly with the current #1 Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World, ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, before getting stopped in the 11th round. His illustrious career includes victories over Bernard Hopkins, Eleider Alvarez (twice), Jean-Pascal (twice), and Isaac Chilemba. He also holds two highly controversial losses to Andre Ward. 

The heavy-handed Tervel Pulev, the 2012 Bronze Medalist at the Olympic  Games, the younger brother of two-time heavyweight world title challenger Kubrat Pulev, returns to the ring following a knockout victory of Vikapita Meroro on July 29, 2021. He is currently the holder of the WBA International Cruiserweight Title. 

                KUBRAT PULEV VS. JERRY FORREST (10 Rounds / Heavyweight)

Kubrat ‘The Cobra’ Pulev (28-2, 14 KOs) will clash with Andrey Fedosov (32-3, 26 KOs) over ten scheduled heavyweight rounds. Pulev is returning to action after a first-round knockout of Frank Mir on November 27, 2021, at the first-ever Triad Combat event in Arlington, TX. Pulev has defeated numerous heavyweight boxing contenders, including Samuel Peter, Hughie Fury, Dereck Chisora, Tony Thompson, Alexsandr Ustinov, and Alexander Dimitrenko. His only losses have come to Heavyweight World Champions Wladimir Klitschko and Anthony Joshua. 

Two outstanding, evenly fought battles against top contenders Michael Hunter and Zhilei Zhang in 2021 have prepared Jerry ‘Slugger’ Forrest, (26-4-2 20 KOs) for the biggest fight of his career against Kubrat Pulev.

                            SON OF A LEGEND EVAN HOLYFIELD VS. MAURICE WILLIAMS 

Also featured on the undercard, Son of a Legend, Evan ‘Yung Holy’ Holyfield (9-0, 6 KOs), will compete in a scheduled six-rounder in the junior middleweight division. He is the son of Three-Time Heavyweight World Champion Evander ‘The Real Deal’ Holyfield. He will face Maurice Williams, 7-2-0 (3 KOs).

FERNANDO ‘EL FEROZ’ VARGAS JR., AMADO ‘EL MALVADO’ VARGAS,  AND THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED PRO DEBUT OF EMILIANO VARGAS

Rounding out the card, The Fernando Vargas Dynasty continues with the highly anticipated professional debut of Seven-Time Amateur Champion, lightweight Emiliano ‘El General’ Vargas. He will be joining his highly regarded and undefeated brothers on the card at the star-making venue, junior middleweight Fernando ‘El Feroz’ Vargas, Jr. (5-0, 5 KOs) and Amado ‘El Malvado’ Vargas (3-0, 2 KOs), competing in the featherweight division. They are the sons of three-time junior middleweight world champion Fernando ‘El Feroz’ Vargas. All three bouts will take place over four rounds. 

Launched less than two years ago, Triller Fight Club has already sold over 3,000,000 Pay-Per-Views in the past year, making it one of the top-selling combat sports/entertainment platforms. TrillerVerz’s widely acclaimed monthly series, including world-class professional boxing and musical Verzuz battles, has consistently been at the top of watched broadcasts averaging over 6,000,000 views. 

TrillerVerz 5 signals Triller’s continued commitment to its legacy of innovation by recognizing the ‘Lineage of Greatness,’ a one-time, iconic, cultural experience that showcases world-class fighters and global hip hop legends in an epic Verzuz rap battle. TrillerVerz 5 carries its legacy into this unique event, streamed globally for fans of a new form of entertainment. TrillerVerz 5 opens doors and answers questions for those in the ring, on the stage, in the arena, and everyone watching worldwide on their TVs and devices. Fans of what’s new, now and next, make sure you get your tickets to attend or order the PPV now to make sure you don’t miss a second of this amazing collision of entertainment and action.

In December 2021, Triller entered into a definitive merger agreement with SeaChange International, Inc. (NASDAQ: SEAC), in a transaction that would result in the combined company being named TrillerVerz Corp., and its common stock will be listed on Nasdaq, subject to completion of the conditions listed in the S4, which was filed recently by SeaChange (NASD: SEAC).

This Triller Fight Club PPV event, priced at $29.99, will be carried in North America across all traditional PPV TV platforms, including cable, satellite & telco TV PPV providers, including Xfinity, Spectrum, Contour, Fios, and Optimum (U.S.), among others, as well as leading operators in Canada. It will also be offered to commercial outlets via Joe Hand Promotions and globally via digital streaming to all major outlets as listed below.

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**HOW TO WATCH THE May 14^th event via Worldwide Streaming **

Digitally broadcast via FITE and all FITE mobile, Smart TV, IPTV, game controller, and OTT apps as well as the event microsite hub: TrillerFightClub.com

Commercial outlets can order through Joe Hand Promotions at 1-800-557-4263 or through their website at orders.joehandpromotions.com. 

Follow Triller Fight Club on social media: 

Instagram: @Triller, @TrillerFightClub
Twitter: @Triller, @TrillerFight

Facebook: @TrillerFightClub

New York, NY (April 4, 2022)- Erick DeLeon stayed undefeated with an opening round stoppage of veteran Hevinson Herrera at Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in DeLeon’s hometown of Detroit.

The bout was a scheduled eight-round welterweight contest.

DeLeon, who is managed by Split-T Management was all over Herrera, and dominated Herrera with a barrage of punches which registered a knockdown for, and the bout was stopped at 2:48.

With the win, DeLeon is now 20-0-1 with 12 knockouts.

“It felt amazing,” said DeLeon, post-fight. “I’m so happy and blessed. Thank you to all my people who came out. I really appreciate all the love and support. This is for you guys. I wasn’t surprised it ended so quickly. I have been working hard and I was ready for this moment. When I connected with that left hand, I knew it was only going to get worse for him.”

DeLeon is promoted by Salita Promotions.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (April 4, 2022) – The Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame (CBHOF) has announced its six-member Class of 2021 to be inducted during the 16TH annual CBHOF Gala Induction Dinner on Saturday night, May 21, in the Uncas Ballroom at Mohegan Sun.

The CBHOF Class of 2020 consisting entirely of “Old Timers”, will also be inducted on May 21st.

Class of 2021 inductees are retired boxers Mike “Machine Gun” Oliver, of Hartford, and New Haven’s Elvin Ayala, Hartford referee Danny Schiavone, Glastonbury’s (Hartford Civic Center executive director) Frank E. Russo, Manchester trainer Jose “Papo” Colon, and New Haven manager Mike Criscio.

“The Connecticut Boxing Hall of Game is very excited to reconvene our Gala Induction Dinner after a two-year pandemic related hiatus,” CBHOF president John Laudati said. “The pandemic ‘pause’ gave the Selection Committee ample time to research boxing archives in order to support the induction of the 2020 Class of deceased boxing legends. Recognition of these deserving individuals is long overdue.”

“Our Class of 2021 is also exceptionally outstanding, as well. It is a class which truly represents the sport of boxing. Fighters, trainers, managers, promoters, and ring officials are being inducted in this class. I encourage all boxing fans to come out to Mohegan Sun on May 21st for a fantastic celebration of the accomplishments of these two worthy Hall of Fame classes.

Oliver (26-12-1, 8 KOs) first laced-up boxing gloves at the tender age of three. After excelling as an amateur boxer, Oliver captured the vacant IBO Super Bantamweight World title in 2007, taking a 12-round unanimous title from Cruz Carbajal in Boston. The gifted southpaw was also the USBA and New England title holder during his 20-year pro career.

Schiavone has developed into one of the most respected referees in boxing, having worked more than 440 fights during almost two-decade career, including seven world title bouts and more than 40 regional title fights. He has refereed bouts featuring elite fighters such as Roy Jones, Jr., Adrian Broner, David Tua, Hasim Rahman, and Vasiliy Lomanchencko. The Hofstra University graduate also refereed the 2019 Chris Arreola-Chris Kownacki fight, which set a record for most thrown punches during a heavyweight fight. Schiavone has also acted in two boxing movies, “Back in the Day” and the soon to be released “Pep” a movie about Hartford’s greatest fighter Willie Pep. Schiavone also appeared in the television series, “Gravesend.”

Back in 1974, Russo listened to the suggestion of the Hartford Civic Center concessions manager, Johnny Cesario, later a CBHOF member, to host boxing events. Russo later made future world welterweight champion and CBHOF inductee Marlon Starling the Harford Civic Center’s house fighter. More than 13,000 boxing fans attended the closed circuit showing of the first Sugar Ray Leonard-Roberto Duran fight, which was shown after a live card headlined by Starling. Russo also helped promote the pro careers of 1984 USA Olympians Pernell Whitaker, Mark Breland, Meldrick Taylor, Evander Holyfield, and Tyrell Biggs.

The 76-year-old Colon is still an active trainer, now working out of the Manchester Ring of Champions Society. A native of Puerto Rico Colon moved to the U.S. and in 1979, he worked some of New York’s most prestigious gyms, including Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn. Eighteen years later, Colon moved to Hartford, where he worked at the San Juan Center with future CBHOF inductee George Cruz. He later worked out of the Hartford Boxing Center, assisting trainer Tony Blanco in building Richie “Popeye” Rivera’s career.

Ayala burst upon the pro boxing scene in 2003, winning his first sixteen fights with a defensive style that left opponents flustered and frustrated. A 2007 draw in Carson, California with unbeaten Sergio Mora (19-0), winner of the Contender series (original) and future world middleweight champion positioned Ayala to challenge 25-0 IBF Middleweight World Champion Arthur Abraham. Abraham stopped the game Ayala in the 12th round.

Criscio progressed from a pawnbroker to a boxing manager where in 2017 he guided Chad Dawson to the WBC Light Heavyweight World Championship by way of a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision over defending champion Tomasz Adamek in Kissimmee, Florida. Criscio managed as many as 35 pro boxers, including Dawson, Alfredo Angulo, Jean Pascal, Peter Manfredo Jr., Toka Kahn Clery, Chris Avalos and the late Luis Rosa Jr.

CBHOF’s 2021 award winners will soon be announced.

The Class of 2020 inductees are boxers Jimmy Leto, Eddie Dolan, Al Gainer, and Steve Carr, as well as coach Mosey King and commissioner Barbara Dunn.

Leto, a welterweight from Hartford, had a superlative 125-29-12 record from 1924 to 1943. Managed by legendary Lou Viscusi, Leto defeated future International Boxing Hall of Famers such as Chalky Wright, Cocoa Kid and Fritzie Zivic. Leto died in 1986 at the age of 75.

Dolan not only fought in the same era as Leto, but he also defeated him in 1940. Dolan tuned pro in 1931at the age of 18 and finished his career with an 89-9-3 pro record, including victories against Cocoa Kid and Zivic. The Waterbury welterweight, who was undefeated throughout 1939, died in 1964 at 51.

After a brief pro career as a lightweight, King became the head boxing coach at Yale University in 1907. The New London native held that post until 1952, when Yale dropped boxing as a sport. King was so highly regarded that he became Connecticut’s first boxing commissioner in 1921, serving in that capacity for two years. King passed away in 1956.

Gainer was a formidable light heavyweight from New Haven who compiled a 77-23-6 (41 KOs) record from 1930-1941. Gainer defeated James J. Braddock and Tony Galento. He fought Maxie Rosenbloom to a draw and had two different win streaks of 12 and 13 fights. He died in 1973.

Fighting during the Great Depression, Carr’s career lasted only seven years, but the Meridian native retired with a 52-14-8 pro record, his most notable win versus Nathan Mann. Carr died in 1954 at the age of 41.

Newton native Dunn was a pioneer. She was named the Connecticut Commissioner of Consumer Protection in 1971, also taking on the role as the nation’s first female boxing commissioner. Her fearless regulation of the sport of boxing earned her respect throughout the boxing industry. A University of Connecticut graduate, Dunn passed away in 2017 at 90.

Tickets for the CBHOF 16th annual Gala Induction Dinner, reasonably priced at $90.00, are on sale and available to purchase by calling Sherman Cain at 860.212.9029 and Rider Productions at 860.413.9067. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. ET, followed by a full sit-down dinner at 7 p.m. ET.

Go online to www.ctboxinghof.org for additional information about the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame, its 16th annual Gala Inductee Dinner, event sponsorship opportunities, and past CBHOF inductees.

ABOUT CBHOF: The Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame was founded in 2004 to honor and celebrate the careers of outstanding individuals involved in the sport of boxing. Its inaugural Induction Ceremony & Dinner was held in 2005. Connecticut’s rich boxing history could never have flourished if it weren’t for the achievements of those enshrined in the Hall of Fame. The CBHOF’s new location is in the Sky Casino at Mohegan Sun.

As a non-profit organization, the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame is deeply committed to keeping the fighting spirit of Connecticut thriving through various charitable contributions.

JASON CUNNINGHAM DID not have to ponder too long and hard over the question of at what point did he realise that he had morphed from being considered a high level opponent to someone with fighting for a world title towards the forefront of his mind.

Despite enjoying much notable success over the years, Cunningham has effectively turned his career on its head and is now preparing to top the bill in Telford with a second defence of his European super bantamweight title.

The Doncaster man goes up against the unbeaten 16-0 Terry Le Couviour at the Telford International Centre on April 16, live on BT Sport.

The turning point, Cunningham reports, came off the back of a defeat, the sixth and last of his 36-fight career to date.

In December 2018 he was drafted in to provide stubborn opposition for Belfast’s amateur superstar Michael Conlan who was, at the time, entering into double figures as a pro and was adding additional Irish flavour to the Warrington-Frampton card at the Manchester Arena.

Cunningham, typically, was nobody’s fall guy and put on a solid performance in losing on the cards. It was a display that triggered a surge of confidence in the boxer known as ‘The Iceman’ and one that he identifies as the keynote moment in his resurgence.

“It is the best way it has been put across to me, to be fair,” said the 32-year-old, who is now signed up by Frank Warren and Queensberry following his first European defence against Brad Foster in October of last year. “It was definitely after the Conlan fight where I gave a very, very good account of myself on the night. This obviously boosts your confidence, it was also up at featherweight, which was never really my division.

“I just got opportunities there because I won the Commonwealth title at that weight. That was an opportunity given at short notice and then you end up campaigning in that division.

“Super bantamweight has always been my division and I am undefeated at that weight as well.

“So after the Conlan fight, my next few performances put me in good shape and then it is all down to experience really.

“It has been a long road from the small hall stuff as well. I’ve been matched hard and have been in the away corner many, many times against good names. It has put me in good stead, I don’t take anything back, any of the defeats because it is all knowledge and experience and has made me the fighter I am today.

“I would say after the Conlan fight that I was coming into my prime. I had a few tickover fights and everything just started coming together. I felt I was coming into my best years and then, obviously, we stumbled into the Covid era, which put things at a standstill.

“So I ended up taking my opportunities at short notice again with Gamal Yafai (who he claimed the title from in May 2021) and kind of went from there. But I would say after the Conlan fight I could feel myself growing in confidence and took it from there.

“I knew it was all coming together,” continued Cunningham, who now possesses the inner belief that he is ready to take on anybody at the right weight.

“Yes, against anyone, and I do truly believe that. It is all step by step and I am confident of competing at world level. I believe I am big enough, strong enough at the weight and my boxing ability is at a high level as I also have a good pedigree from my amateur days as well.

“Confidence is a big thing and I am just ready to test myself and see how far we can go. Whether or not I get to my ultimate goal of being a world champion, I will certainly give it my best shot either way.

“Obviously I have now got Frank behind me, so everything is with me to give it my best.”

Tickets for Jason Cunningham vs Terry Le Couviour for the EBU super bantamweight title at the Telford International Centre on Saturday, April 16 are on sale now available exclusively from Ticketmaster here.

Jason Cunningham defends his European super bantamweight title against Terry Le Couviour at the Telford International Centre on April 16, live on BT Sport. Also on the bill, Stoke favourite Nathan Heaney defends his IBO International middleweight crown against Diego Ramirez from Argentina and Liverpool super bantamweight Andrew Cain fights for the vacant WBC International Silver title against the Nicaraguan Martin Diaz.

Telford pair, super lightweight Macaulay Owen (2-0, 1 KO) and flyweight Bradley Thompson (3-0) complete the card.

In an emotional ceremony on Wednesday, March 30, promoter Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing was recognized by the Legislature of Buenos Aires for his great contributions to Argentine boxing and presented with a plaque by Argentine legislators Diego Weck and Rodrigo Morán.

Speakers sharing anecdotes about the colorful Lewkowicz included former national deputy Facundo Moyano; Promoter Carlos Tello, President of the Uruguayan Amateur and Professional Boxing Commission Sergio Márquez; Commissioner of the Argentine Boxing Federation Roberto Rilo and TyC Sports journalist Marcelo González.

A video was also shown, featuring boxers Sebastián Papeschi and Juan José Velasco, as well as the great Sergio “Maravilla” Martínez and journalist Osvaldo Príncipi, who also spoke of Lewkowicz’s honesty and professionalism.

Numerous active and former fighters, leaders, journalists, ring officials and relatives were also there to share the unique and touching moment with Lewkowicz and his wife Ketty, including former WBC cruiser world champion Marcelo Domínguez,; TyC Sports Programming Manager Pedro Freire and President of Argentina Boxing Promotions Mario Margossián.

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About Sampson Boxing

Sampson Boxing has promotional partners all over North and South America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and Central America. Sampson Boxing events have been televised on such premiere networks as HBO, Showtime, ESPN, ESPN+, DAZN, VS., FOX, Fox Sports and several international networks. For more information, visit sampsonboxing.com.

Philadelphia, PA (April4, 2022)–Popular Philadelphia bantamweight Christian Carto will headline a King’s Promotions event on Friday night, April 29th when he takes on Ernesto Sebastian Franzolini in an eight-round bout at The 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia.

Carto of Philadelphia is 18-1 with 12 knockouts. The 25 year-old Carto is a six-year professional. Carto, who brings a large and enthusiastic fan base, has wins over Alonso Melendez (14-1) and James Smith (12-1). In his last bout, Carto returned to the ring after a two-and-a-half year hiatus with a first round stoppage over Yeison Vargas on September 10, 2021 at The 2300 Arena.

Franzolini of Buenos Aires, Argentina is 14-12-2 with one knockout. The 33 year-old is a 10-year veteran, and is a former Argentina Super Bantamweight champion. Franzolini has two in a row, with the most recent outing being a unanimous decision win over Sergio Estrela on November 6, 2021 in Buenos Aires. Franzolini will be making his United States debut.

In an eight-round bout, undefeated welterweight Paul Kroll returns to action as he takes on Marklin Bailey.

Kroll, a former United States Olympic Trials champion is 9-0-1 with six knockouts. The 26 year-old Kroll is a six-year professional and has defeated the likes of Shinard Bunch (2-0), Lucas Santamaria (11-1-1) and Mark Dawson (9-0-1). Kroll is coming off a draw with Marquis Taylor (12-1-1) on February 18th in Orlando, Florida. That bout was part of a ShoBox: The New Generation card that was televised live on SHOWTIME.

Bailey of Durham, North Carolina, has a record of 7-7 with four knockouts. The 27 year-old Bailey is also a six-year professional who has wins over Vinny Denierio (1-0) and his last bout when he took a six-round split decision over Kristopher Kyle Harrell (8-1-1) on November 20, 2021 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Bailey has also fought top prospects Alberto Palmetta, Vito Mielnicki Jr. and Xander Zayas.

In six-round bouts:

Junior Welterweight Quadir Albright (5-0, 5 KOs) of Philadelphia will take on Gonzlo Carlos Dallera (10-15).

Lightweight Julian Gonzalez (5-0, 5 KOs), welterweight James Martin (7-3) of Philadelphia and junior welterweight Malik Warren (6-0, 5 KOs) of Baltimore will see action against opponents to be named.

Also in a six-round bantamweight contest, Jeremy Adorno (6-0, 2 KOs) of Allentown, PA will fight John Vera (5-8, 3 KOs) of Miami.

In a four-round welterweight fight, Thanjhae Teasley (1-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia takes on a n opponent to be named.

Tickets for this terrific evening of boxing are $55, $75, $100 and $150 and can be purchased by Clicking: https://2300arena.showare.com/orderticketsvenue.asp?p=408

Hartford, CT (April 3) – The homecoming king put on a royal performance Saturday at the Connecticut Convention Center.

Headlining a long day of amateur and professional boxing in front his hometown fans for the first time, unbeaten Hartford super lightweight Mykquan Williams (17-0-1) earned his eighth career knockout win by defeating New Jersey’s Tyrone Luckey (15-17-4) via fifth-round stoppage.

The event, promoted by CES Boxing, featured four pro bouts with Williams closing the show in style with his first knockout victory since 2018. Luckey fought hard, but Williams dominated the bout and controlled the pace throughout, saving his best performance for the fifth round, where a visibly fatigued Luckey had trouble warding off the body shots. Luckey’s corner threw in the towel between rounds, resulting in a victory at the 3-minute mark of the fifth round.

The co-main was as good as advertised as Springfield, MA, featherweight Josh Orta (9-0) eked out 57-57, 59-55, 58-56 majority decision win over tough Puerto Rican challenger Jayron Santiago (8-9-1) to keep his perfect record intact.

The action was intense through all six rounds as both fighters stood toe-to-toe unafraid to exchange. Orta did his best work to the body, but also opened a cut under Santiago’s left eye at the end of the fourth that, while not high enough above the eye to deter Santiago, was enough of a distraction to allow Orta to close out the final two rounds.

Judge Glen Feldman scored it even, but Robin Hayes (59-55) and Peter Hary (58-56) scored in favor of Orta.

Springfield welterweight Jalen Renaud (8-0) also remained unbeaten with a hard-fought 58-56, 59-54, 59-54 unanimous decision win over Philadelphia’s Evincii Dixon (10-29-2).

Renaud boxed circles around Dixon for the first three rounds, working his left jab to set up the straight right while Dixon spent most of his time covering up and looking for an opportunity to counter.

Midway through the fight, Renaud began working the body more consistently and withstood whatever late flurries Dixon had in the gas tank. The end result was a clean sweep that wasn’t as close as it appeared on the cards.

In the opening bout, Hartford bantamweight Angel Gonzalez (9-0) kept his perfect record intact with a decisive, yet competitive, 59-55, 60-54, 60-54 unanimous decision win over 46-fight veteran Ira Terry (27-20) of Memphis.

Gonzalez controlled the pace of the fight and was the aggressor throughout, but Terry kept pressing forward, forcing Gonzalez to use his speed and footwork to stay out of harm’s way. Gonzalez did his best work during the intense, up-close exchanges, working the body effectively and mixing in short uppercuts to momentarily stop Terry’s progress. Gonzalez is now 9-0 and now 2-0 in his hometown, where he also won in September.

Visit CESFights.com for more information. Updates on CES Boxing can also be found on Facebook in addition to Instagram and Twitter by following @CESBoxing.

INFORMATION

CES Boxing is one of the top promotions in the northeast and one of the few to successfully promote both mixed martial arts and professional boxing. Launched in 1992 by longtime boxing judge Jimmy Burchfield Sr., the promotion is the only in professional boxing to boast two reigning WBC Youth world champions in lightweight Jamaine Ortiz and featherweight Irvin Gonzalez. CES Boxing recently teamed with UFC FIGHT PASS, the world’s No. 1 streaming platform for combat sports, to showcase its events to a worldwide audience, and worked as a promotional consultant for the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. pay-per-view event in November of 2020.

Opened in 2005, the Connecticut Convention Center is the Northeast’s most ideal location for trade shows, conventions, business meetings or any occasion demanding a dramatic riverfront setting. Overlooking the Connecticut River, the Center is situated in the heart of downtown Hartford’s Front Street District – a rapidly expanding entertainment hub teeming with new restaurants, bistros and entertainment venues. Limitlessly functional and endlessly customizable, the 540,000 square foot Connecticut Convention Center is the largest convention facility between New York and Boston. The Center combines ample meeting space – including 140,000 square feet of exhibition space, a 40,000 square foot ballroom and 25,000 square feet of flexible meeting space – with visually stunning touches, creating the ideal backdrop for any event.

Detroit’s undefeated lightweight Erick DeLeon (20-0-1, 12 KOs) made a highly impressive return to the ring tonight (April 2, 2022) against Barranquilla, Colombia’s Hevinson Herrera (27-20-1, 21 KOs).

Fighting in the main event of Salita Promotions’ Detroit Brawl event in the Lincoln Ballroom of the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center in Dearborn, MI, DeLeon took about a minute to size up the South American before moving in with a blistering two-fisted assault that left Herrera down for the count at 2:48 of round one.

In front of a huge crowd of his supporters, the popular DeLeon, a three-time National Golden Gloves Champion, showed why he has been labeled a potential star since his amateur days by demolishing the seasoned Herrera, who just last year was able to pull of the upset against then 19-1 Courtney Jackson.

“It felt amazing,” said DeLeon, post-fight. “I’m so happy and blessed. Thank you to all my people who came out. I really appreciate all the love and support. This if for you guys. I wasn’t surprised it ended so quickly. I have been working hard and I was ready for this moment. When I connected with that left hand, I knew it was only going to get worse for him.

In a battle of undefeated 175-lb sluggers, WBC #9, IBF #15, WBO #14 light heavyweight Ali Izmailov (8-0, 6 KOs) showed why he’s a world contender in just seven fights with a brutal hammering of Iquique, Chile’s Abraham Tebes (now 7-1, 3 KOs). The pulverizing fists of Izmailov turned the South American’s face to a swollen mask as the rounds progressed. The wild-swinging Tebes tried hard, but Izmailov is in another league and headed for a world-championship fight in the near future. The official verdict was a TKO 4, as Tebes rightly decided to stay on his stool before the round began. Trainer John David Jackson has Izmailov looking like a potential future star.

Las Vegas via Nahariya, Israel, super flyweight David Alaverdian (6-0, 5 KOs) made his United States fighting debut a successful one over Kecskemet, Hungary’s Jeno Tonte (9-10, 8 KOs). A perfectly timed left hook dropped Tonte in round two and the follow-up barrage ended matters. Alaverdian appears to be the real thing. His matrix-like performance had 18-fight veteran Tonte struggling to land a shot while his own shots elicited “oohs” and “ahhs” from the large crowd. Referee Gerard White called off the slaughter at 1:15.

Undefeated Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Joshua “Double J” Pagan (now 2-0, 2 KO) ended his schedule-for-four lightweight about against winless Calvin Glover (0-5) of Chicago at 1:36 of the first round. A wicked left hook to the body left the hapless Glover gasping for breath as the full count was reached. So strong was the fight-ending shot that Glover was still needing assistance to walk several minutes after the fight.

In an eight-round middleweight showdown, undefeated Timur Kerefov (13-0, 7 KOs) made quick work of once-promising veteran Cleotis “Mookie” Pendarvis (21-10-2, 9 KOs), knocking him out at 2:02 of round two with a thunderbolt left hand. Not regarded as a one-punch fighter, the former amateur star Kerefov uncorked the perfect shot that made Pendarvis take a knee and complain about his eye as referee Frank Garza reached the count of 10.

An eight-round heavyweight showdown to open the show broke out into an old-fashioned slugfest between heavyweight prospect and current WBC USNBC Silver Heavyweight Champion Brandon Moore (11-0, 7 KOs) and clever veteran Curtis Harper (13-7, 9 KOs).

The undefeated Moore suffered a serious cut over his left eye from an accidental headbutt in round two and the blood streaming down his face seemed to energize Harper into becoming more aggressive. What followed was an entertaining back-and-forth battle with Moore landing more often with more accurate shots and Harper landing enough right-hands to keep things very interesting throughout. Harper lost a point for hitting on the break in round four that he protested vehemently.

In the end, the blood-soaked Moore came away with a hard-fought unanimous decision by “wider than the action” scores of 79-72 80-71 and 80-71.
ABOUT THE FORD COMMUNITY & PERFORMING ARTS CENTER:

The mission of the Dearborn Recreation & Parks Department is to help fulfill the social, educational and recreational needs of children, adults and families by providing quality programs and activities in clean and well-maintained facilities and to achieve this through exemplary customer service. For more information, visit their OFFICIAL SITE.

ABOUT SALITA PROMOTIONS:

Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including Showtime, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

Check the Salita Promotions YOUTUBE CHANNEL for regular updates of the modern world’s greatest fighters, contenders and prospects in action.

Newcastle, England – (April 2, 2022) – WBO middleweight champion Savannah ‘The Silent Assassin’ Marshall (12-0, 10 KOs) headlined the Utilita Arena, Newcastle on Saturday night in knockout fashion against Femke Hermans (12-4, 5 KOs) setting up the biggest fight in women’s boxing history against the WBC, IBF & WBA middleweight champion Claressa Shields (12-0, 2 KOS).

Marshall proved successful on her third defence as she stalked Hermans throughout the early rounds and calculated her opponent in the process. At the death of the third round Marshall detonated a powerful left hook that knocked Hermans out cold, sending a message to her arch-nemesis ringside.

The Hartlepool fighter trained and mentored by Peter Fury holds the reputation as the most ferocious puncher in women’s boxing and she more than lived up to the hype with her 10th knockout of her professional career.

However, Hermans proved to be no pushover in the build-up to the fight, a former world champion who has fought Shields and taken her 12 rounds, losing respectively in the process.

Many would have been taking this fight as a direct comparison to how Shields and Marshall fared against Hermans. The anticipated fight against Shields next has all boxing fans chomping at the bit, Marshall remains the only fighter to have beaten Shields when she beat her in the amateurs in 2012.

Marshall is considered to be the biggest female puncher on the planet and maybe all time, she becomes the only fighter to have stopped Hermans and the fight against Shields will be one of the biggest fights of the year.

In chief support, ‘The Albanian King’ Florian Marku (11-0-1, 7 KOs) successfully defended his IBF International Welterweight title in his toughest test to date against the former British and Commonwealth titlist Chris Jenkins (23-5-3, 8 KOs).

Lasting just four rounds, the fiery Albanian landed a big right hand that rocked Jenkins heavily with the referee stepping in soon after.

Marku did seem to struggle at times with Jenkins and was often outboxed, Jenkins established his jab early in the fight and relied on the punch to disrupt Marku’s flow throughout the length of the fight.

The victory establishes itself as the best in Marku’s relatively short career with a fight against fellow BOXXER fighter Chris Kongo (13-1, 7 KOs) just around the corner.

Zak Chelli (11-1-1, 6 KOs) returned to boxing duties for the first time in a year with a hard-earned stoppage over late opponent Jack Kilgannon (11-1, 3 KOs) in the sixth round, handing him his first defeat in the process.

A clash of heads occurred in the sixth round with Chelli coming off worse with a huge cut on the hairline, the cut appeared to annoy Chelli, and he unleashed a ferocious overhead right knocking Kilgannon out towards the end of the round.

The super middleweight is no stranger to performing under the BOXXER banner as he won the super middleweight BOXXER tournament in 2020. The 24-year-old will take the momentum of the victory into the rest of year which he will be hoping will see himself challenging for titles.

British boxings latest breakout star Brad Rea (13-0, 5 KOs) added another victory to his journey with BOXXER, defeating a testing opponent in Lukas Ndafoluma (20-5, 10 KOs) on points.

After his emphatic first round stoppage last time out against Craig McCarthy (8-1-1, 2 KOs), Rea took his time in this fight and gained valuable rounds in the process. The referee scored the eight-round bout 78-73 in Rea’s favour.

At the end of the fourth round, Rea switched to the southpaw stance and landed a perfectly timed left cross to counter Ndafoluma’s attack and drop him to the canvas. The punch woke the Newcastle crowd and certainly changed the balance of the fight.

Considered a step up for the 24-year-old from Manchester, the WBA African middleweight champion Ndafoluma proved a worthy opponent and allowed Rea to learn from a different style of opponent.

Hailing from a boxing family, Luke Cope (4-0, 0 KOs) was victorious in his return to the ring beating journeyman Lee Connelly (8-73-6, 0 KOs) over four rounds by unanimous decision, 39-37.

The 24-year-old last fought in March 2019 but due to the pandemic the young super lightweights career suffered. Cope and his team will be hoping for a bright 2022 with lots of activity inside the ring.

Following last October’s upset defeat to Kirstie Bavington (5-2-2, 2 KOs), Newcastle’s own April Hunter (5-1, 0 KOs) returned to winning ways with a 60-54 unanimous decision victory against Ester Konecna (1-15-1, 0 KOs) in the very same arena she lost her unbeaten record.

Switching camps to join forces with Peter Fury and Savannah Marshall, Hunter will be looking to build on this victory and continue her young career in the right direction.

Undefeated British cruiserweight Michael Webster (7-0, 5 KOs) gained his fifth consecutive stoppage victory with an impressive 3rd round stoppage against Erdogan Kadrija (17-5, 11 KOs).

After an up and down fight week with his previous opponent pulling out, Webster was matched with the travelling German Kadrija who boasted an impressive record going into the fight.

The 27-year-old from Middlesbrough must look forward to the next stage in his career as a step-up fight should be next. The heavy-handed cruiserweight has the potential to be a problem in what is one of Britain’s most improved divisions in recent years.

Georgia ‘Geo’ O’Connor (2-0, 0 KOs) continued her young professional career with BOXXER as she defeated Erica Alvarez (2-6, 0 KOs) via a unanimous decision over six rounds.

Formerly with Team GB and a five-time national champion as an amateur, Geo used her boxing ability to convincingly beat the Argentine earlier on the undercard.

Hosea Stewart (2-0, 0 KOs) faced the well-seasoned heavyweight journeyman Phil Williams (4-35-1, 1 KOs) earlier in the night at the Utilita Arena. Stewart, the 24-year-old, took the four scheduled rounds to defeat Williams but made sure he did so with a convincing unanimous decision that the referee scored 40-36.

Matty Harris (2-0, 1 KOs) made easy work of his second professional fight as the young heavyweight crushed Mait Metsis (0-5) in the first round with a beautifully timed right uppercut, that will be remembered as the most brutal knockout of the night.

Full fight results

Savannah Marshall (12-0, 10 KOs) def. Femke Hermans (12-4, 5 KOs) – 3rd KO, 10×2 WBO middleweight title.

Florian Marku (11-0-1, 7 KOs) def. Chris Jenkins (23-5-4, 8 KOs) – 4th rnd TKO, 10×3 IBF International welterweight title.

Zak Chelli (11-1-1, 6 KOs) def. Jack Kilgannon (11-1, 3 KOs) – R6 KO, 8×3 super middleweight.

Brad Rea (13-0, 5 KOs) def. Lukas Ndafoluma (20-5, 10 KOs) – UD 78-73, 8×3 middleweight.

Luke Cope (4-0, 0 KOs) def. Lee Connelly (8-73-6, 0 KOs) – UD 39-37, 4×3 super lightweight.

April Hunter (5-1, 0 KOs) def. Ester Konecna (1-15-1, 0 KOs) – UD 60-54, 6×2 super welterweight.

Michael Webster (7-0, 5 KOs) def. Erdogan Kadrija (17-5, 11 KOs). – R3 TKO, 6×3 cruiserweight.

Georgia O’Connor (2-0, 0 KOs) def. Erica Alvarez (2-6, 0 KOs) – UD 60-55, 6×2 super welterweight.

Hosea Stewart (2-0, 0 KOs) def. Phil Williams (4-25-1, 1 KOs) – UD 40-36, 4×3 heavyweight.

Matty Harris (2-0, 1 KOs) def. Mait Metsis (0-5) – R1 KO, 4×3 heavyweight.

 Newcastle, England – April 2, 2022 – Having reached the pinnacle of amateur boxing success, Olympic heroines Lauren Price MBE and Karriss Artingstall will now enter the professional ranks under the BOXXER banner, it was announced today.

With fellow Olympians Claressa Shields, Caroline Dubois and Tasha Jonas in attendance, Price and Artingstall were unveiled as the newest signings to the roster today at a press conference held in Newcastle’s Utilita Arena prior to tonight’s BOXXER event, which is headlined by WBO World Middleweight Champion Savannah Marshall.

The signing of Price and Artingstall to exclusive long-term promotional agreements confirms BOXXER as the home of the world’s strongest stable of professional female boxers and Sky Sports as the biggest platform for the women’s side of the sport.

Born and raised in Wales, Price was an outstanding athlete from a young age and achieved success across several sports before deciding to focus exclusively on boxing. She played professional football for several years with Cardiff City and also captained the Welsh Under-19 national team.

Her 2014 decision to dedicate herself entirely to boxing met with immediate reward at the 2014 Commonwealth Games when she became the first Welshwoman ever to win a boxing medal at the games. Her 2014 bronze medal was surpassed four years later when she won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, followed by a gold at the 2019 World Championships.

The crowning glory of her amateur career came at the 2020 Summer Olympics, when she won a gold medal for Great Britain in the middleweight division. In recognition of her incredible achievements, Price was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours list.

Macclesfield’s Artingstall – a gunner in the Royal Horse Artillery – also medalled at the 2020 Summer Olympics, winning bronze in the highly competitive women’s featherweight division after a close loss in the semi-finals.

A year prior, she won two medals for England, taking silver in the 2019 European Championships and bronze in the World Championships, those medals joining a haul which also includes gold medals from the 2018 Elite Championships and the 2012 and 2013 Junior Championships.

Adding to the historic nature of their individual achievements, Price and Artingstall – who are partners outside the training room – made history together as the first same-sex couple to win Olympic medals in boxing and now make history again as the first such couple to sign with a major professional boxing promotion.

“I’m really delighted to sign with BOXXER as Ben Shalom seems to be stamping his authority as a promoter in the boxing scene, especially on the female side of things,” said Price.

“As an amateur I ticked every box, winning consecutive golds at the Commonwealth Games, Europeans, Worlds and Olympics. Sky Sports is a massive platform with all the ingredients to turn someone like myself into a superstar so I can’t wait to get the show on the road and aim for those world titles!”

Artingstall commented, “I think I’ve 100% made the right decision in teaming up with BOXXER as I push forward into the pro ranks. BOXXER and Ben Shalom are doing wonders for the sport right now and I can’t wait to see where this journey goes.”

“I’ve achieved more than most in the amateurs and I’m more than ready to work my way up to world titles on the biggest and best platform of them all, Sky Sports Boxing.”

BOXXER Founder and CEO Ben Shalom remarked, “We are proud and excited to welcome two athletes who have achieved such incredible things and we look forward to achieving more incredible things together as Lauren Price and Karriss Artingstall set out with BOXXER and Sky Sports on their quests for professional honours.”

“This is one of the most exciting announcements yet in the flourishing Sky/Boxxer partnership. We have been massively pushing for this key double signing and we believe we have struck gold here,” said Adam Smith, Sky Sports Head of Boxing Development.

“Lauren brought that ultimate medal back from Tokyo while Karriss brought home Bronze. They have the highest of skills and power and they ooze charisma. We will do everything we can to give them the biggest of platforms to become major stars.

“The signing of Lauren and Karriss – joining the likes of Savannah, Claressa, Tasha and Caroline on Sky surely means we have the leading female stable globally. Ben Shalom and I couldn’t be more happy with the brightest of futures for our fabulous women!”

New York, NY (April 2, 2022)- Undefeated Erick DeLeon is back in action when he takes on veteran Hevinson Herrera in a eight-round welterweight bout at The Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in Detroit.

DeLeon, 30 years-old, and is managed by Split-T Management is 19-0-1 with 11 knockouts.

The 10 year-professional has racked up wins over Fidel Navarrete (8-1-2), Jose Salinas (10-2-1), Daulis Prescott (31-4), Adrian Yung (25-2) and his last outing when he stopped Jose Gallegos in seven rounds on March 23, 2019 in Costa Mesa, California.

Herrera, 37 of Barranquilla, Colombia is 27-19-1 with 22 knockouts. A17 year-veteran, Herrera has been in with many top contenders, has wins over Evaristo Valdes (3-0) and Courtney Jackson (23-1). Herrera has won two in a row which started with the win over Jackson. He followed that up with a second round stoppage over Gustavo Sandoval on September 10, 2021 in Colombia.

DeLeon weighed 148.6 lbs. Herrera was 143.8 lbs.

DeLeon is promoted by Salita Promotions.

Sandor Martin followed up his big upset win over Mikey Garcia with a 10-round unanimous decision over Felix in a junior welterweight bout in Spain.

Martin of Barcelona, Spain won by scores of 100-90 twice and 99-91 and is now 40-2. Felix of Los Mochis, MEX is 39-6-1.

Carmona Holds on and Decisions Cordova

Samuel Carmona remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Joel Cordova in a super flyweight bout.

After being rocked hard in round eight, Carmona landed a perfect straight left that put Cordova on the seat of his pants. In round 10, Carmona was bleeding from his nose and left eye.

Carmona won by score4s of 97-93, 96-93 and 96-94 and is now 7-0. Cordova of Ciudad, MEX is 13-6-2.

Obregon Decisions Lomotey

Jhon Jader Obregon won a eight-round unanimous decision over Kyle Lomotey in a fight featuring undefeated middleweights.

In round five, Lomotey was deducted a point for leading with his head. In the same round, Lometey’s left eye began to close.

Obregun of Bilbao, SPA won by scores of 80-71, 78-73 and 77-73 and is now 10-0. Lomotey of Leigh, ENG is 10-1.

Guanini Decisions Levi

Former world champion Jorgelina Guanini won an eight-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Stevi Levi in a super bantamweight bout.

Levi had blood from her nose.

Guanini of Buenos Airies, ARG won by scores of 80-73, 79-73 and 79-75 and is now 10-4-1. Levi of England is 5-1.

Bolotniks Decisions Sep

Ricards Bolotniks won an eight-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Hrvoje Sep in a lightweight heavyweight bout.

Bolotniks of Latvia won by scores of 78-75 twice and 77-75 and is now 19-6-1. Sep is now 11-1

Newcastle, England – (April 2, 2022) – Tempers boiled over at today’s BOXXER Newcastle: Marshall vs Hermans official weigh-ins today when Florian Marku, the defending IBF International Welterweight Champion, faced off with challenger Chris Jenkins.

Marku had strong but inaudible words for Jenkins, prompting Jenkins to sarcastically blow him a kiss in response. This incensed the Albanian champion; he grabbed Jenkins by the throat, forcing security to intervene quickly and separate the two enraged fighters.

All fighters made weight at the first attempt today, including WBO World Middleweight Champion Savannah Marshall, who defends her title against former champion Femke Hermans in the headline bout of tomorrow night’s event, live on Sky Sports.

Below please find today’s official weights and the running order for tomorrow night’s event:

FIGHT #1: 17:00

6×3 Mins Welterweight Contest

Michael Likalu 11st 3lb 8oz (157 v Carl Turney 11st 2lb (156lb)

FACEBOOK SKY SPORTS BOXING LIVE STREAM: 17.30 (approx)

FIGHT #2

4×3 Mins Heavyweight Contest

Matty Harris 18st 8lb (260lb) v Matt Metsis 16st 8lb (232lb)

FIGHT #3

4×3 Mins Heavyweight Contest

Hosea Stewart 24st 8lb (344lb) v Phil Williams 18st 1lb (253lb)

FIGHT #4

6×2 Mins Super-Welterweight Contest

Georgia O’Connor 10st 13lb 8 (153.05lb) v Erica Alvarez 10st 12lb (152lb)

FIGHT #5

6×3 Mins Cruiserweight Contest

Michael Webster 14st 6lb (202lb) v Erdogan Kadrija 14st 4lb (200lb)

FIGHT #6

6×2 Mins Super-Welterweight Contest

April Hunter 11st 1lb (155lb) v Ester Konecna 11st 1lb 8oz (155.05lb)

FIGHT #7

4×3 Mins Super-Lightweight Contest

Luke Cope 10st (140lb) v Lee Connelly 10st 8oz (140.05lb)

LIVE ON SKY SPORTS MAIN EVENT: 20:00

FIGHT #8

8×3 Mins Middleweight Contest

Brad Rea 11st 6lb 8oz (160.05lb)v Lukasz Ndafoluma 11st 6lb (160lb)

FIGHT #9

8×3 Mins Super-Middleweight Contest

Zak Chelli 11st 12lb 8oz (166.05lb) v Jack Kilgannon 12st (168lb)

FIGHT #10

10×3 Mins Welterweight Contest

Florian Marku 10st 6lb 8oz (146.05lb) v Chris Jenkins 10st 6lb (146lb)

FIGHT #11

10×2 Mins WBO Middleweight Title Contest

Savannah Marshall 11st 5lb (159lb) v Femke Hermans 11st 4lb 8oz (158.05lb)

FIGHT #12

*TV SWING* 

4×2 Mins Super-Flyweight Contest

Chloe Watson 8st 1lb 8oz (113.05lb) v Gemma Ruegg 8st 1lb 8oz (113.05lb)

WBO INTERNATIONAL SUPER middleweight champion Zach Parker, along with his promoter Frank Warren and manager Neil Marsh, convened at the BT Sport Studios for the opening press conference ahead of his challenge for the WBO Interim world title against the unbeaten two-weight world champion Demetrius Andrade on May 21.

Pride Park Stadium, the home of Derby County Football Club will play host to the spectacular event.

Andrade, who is awaiting a passport renewal, joined proceedings over Zoom and below is a selection of key quotes from the media gathering.

Photos from the press conference can be downloaded here.

Frank Warren
“On a number of fronts it was important to win the purse bid for this fight. It is for the Interim title so for the winner there is Canelo – who is the current champion – fighting next at light heavyweight. Is he going to stay at that weight where the winner of this will get a shot at him because the mandatory will be due. If he gives up the title the winner of this Interim title will be installed as champion.

“From the perspective of Zach I was determined to win the purse bid and give him every opportunity I can because he is with us and is a joy to work with. He has been No.1 with the WBO for quite a while now and is only 27 years of age. He is not only fighting in his hometown, he is fighting at Pride Park, home of his local football club. The reason we are putting it on there is because I want the fans in Derby to get behind him and I am a big believer in trying to get every advantage you can for your fighter.

“Demetrius is a two-weight, three-time world champion who is moving up to super middleweight, while I feel Zach is bordering on being a light heavyweight. He is very underestimated in my opinion as a boxer. We know he can punch and I hope the advantages we have secured will translate to a win for him on the night against a real good quality fighter in Demetrius, who we all respect.”

Zach Parker
“This is the biggest fight of my career and I am going to take it with both hands. He is a two-weight world champion but he is getting on a bit now and I just think it is my time because I am up and coming.

“I want to say thanks to Frank Warren and all my team for getting behind me and getting this in Derby, especially at my football club at Pride Park. I am just looking forward to the fight now.

“I think everything is going in my favour, Obviously I am young, it is happening in my backyard and the reaction from the crowd has been huge. It will favour me and I will show it on fight night.

“He is coming up a weight and I just think I am too big and too strong. You’ve seen in other fights he’s been hurt. When I land I won’t let up and I will get him out of there.”

Demetrius Andrade
“I can’t wait to get over to England and I believe Frank Warren is going to do a great job getting the Derby fans and my fans as well into the stadium. It will be a great fight, I can’t wait to showcase my skills and talent and put on a great performance.

“I am excited to be coming over because I am a world champ who has travelled all over the world and been in the lion’s den plenty of times. Who am I to say I am the best if I can’t go to someone’s back yard and give him an arse-whooping. That is just how it is. Anybody else who lost a purse bid might have pulled out and gone a different route, but that is not me and Zach is going to get the opportunity to have the biggest fight of his life.

“It is a great opportunity for him, for me, and the best will move on and forward. This is the fight game so anyone I get in the ring with I am going to lay hands on and bash up. I look at Zach as a young kid trying to make a name for himself and he is going to bring his A-game and the best performance of his life against me.

“Hopefully he brings out the best in me and we have a great performance.”

Neil Marsh
“Me and Zach have been together for six years now and it has been tough getting here. He’d be a much bigger name now if the previous people had promoted him correctly and 14-15 months ago we were looking for a promoter who could take us all the way to the top. We didn’t speak to any other promoter because it was Frank Warren who we wanted to lead us into this next chapter.

“You only need to look at Frank’s history to know why we signed with him. He honoured his word and got us the development fights and collectively as a team we believe Zach is ready to go. We are not underestimating Demetrius, who is avoided in the US and I think people could have done a better job for him, hence why he has entered into this agreement with Zach Parker.

“Boxing is about timing and this kid here deserves every bit of spotlight he is going to get. The kid is a beast and, because people haven’t seen him on the big stage enough, there is a question mark over him. Let’s be honest, Demetrius’ passport has expired because he didn’t expect to be coming to England. No disrespect, but I think he has got greedy and they are all thinking about Canelo money.

“He is going to come to Derby and meet Zach Parker, who is not Liam Williams or Brian Rose. This is a real ding-dong of a fight and my man is going to come out on top.”

Tickets for Parker v Andrade start from £55 and are available exclusively from dcfc.co.uk with £10 from every ticket sold going to DCFC to help the club through the current financial hardship.

Secure your place to support Zach and the club on a not-to-be-missed night at the Pride Park Stadium!

A full undercard will be announced in due course. 

Please Note: This event is subject to contract and licence approval.

Chicago, IL.-Weights for Friday Night’s Hitz Boxing card at The Dome at The Ballpark in Rosemont, Il

Jimmy Quiter 170.5 – Miraday Lubanzadio 170
Joe Ward 174 – Oscar Riojas 172
Daniel Buenaventura 135 – Yamin Muhammad 133.5
Dawid Bosak 164.5 – Turner Williams 172
Jorge Perez 133.5 – Don Stewart 133.5
Deontae Pettigrew 291 – Kaleb Slaughter 256
Sarah French 146 – Deborah Willies 147
Javier Rivera 115 – TBA

Promoter: Hitz Boxing:
Venue: The Dome at The Ballpark in Rosemont, Illinois
1st Bell: 7:30 PM Central; 8:30 PM ET
Stream: BXNGTV.com

Photo by Tom Barnes / Hitz Boxing

Tickets Begin at $50 and can be purchased at the following:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hitz-boxing-presents-the-rosemont-rumble-tickets-265181453867

The show will be streamed live on BXNGTV.com and can be ordered at

MELBOURNE, Australia (March 31, 2022) — The Emperor, and his new belts, are coming home.

Australia’s “Ferocious” George Kambosos Jr., the WBO/WBA/IBF/WBC Franchise/Ring Magazine lightweight world champion, will battle WBC world champion Devin “The Dream” Haney for Melbourne Supremacy and the undisputed championship Saturday, June 4, at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. Kambosos-Haney will be broadcast in prime time, live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+.

Kambosos, who was born and raised in Sydney, returns to the friendly Down Under confines for the most significant boxing match in Australian history. Event organizers hope to break the Australian attendance record of 51,026 set by the 2017 Manny Pacquiao vs. Jeff Horn super fight in Brisbane. Kambosos is of Greek descent, and Melbourne has the world’s largest Greek population outside of Greece.

Promoted by DiBella Entertainment, Ferocious Promotions, Top Rank, Devin Haney Promotions, Duco Events and TEG Sport, undercard bouts and ticketing details will be announced shortly. Devin Haney Promotions recently entered into a multi-fight co-promotional pact with DiBella Entertainment and Top Rank.

Kambosos said, “After five years of chasing championship glory abroad and fighting in enemy territory, I return home to defend what I have conquered in the boxing world, my world lightweight titles. Everything I have put my mind to and manifested has come true with my relentless hard work, dedication and discipline to the sport I love. I have always said I would become world champion the hard way, fighting abroad and then bring back a mega stadium fight to make my world title defense. On June 4 at the amazing 60,000+ seat Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, I get to do just that at home in Australia’s biggest boxing event ever, when I defend my IBF, WBO, WBA, WBC Franchise and Ring Magazine lightweight world titles against Devin Haney, who will be putting up his version of his WBC title. I am very excited and hungry to continue building my legacy, and I will be victorious by any means necessary on June 4 when Haney steps up into the lion’s den of Marvel Stadium against this Aussie Greek lion. I will take not only his belt but put a serious dent in his young career.” 

“The Emperor, George Kambosos, is a different breed.  He sought out the challenge of Vasiliy Lomachenko to give the people of Australia the biggest event possible. When duty to country made ‘Loma’ unavailable, George demanded the biggest event possible and greatest challenge in Devin Haney,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “June 4 will be epic. Credit goes to George for his unprecedented drive to greatness and to Devin Haney for being a man of his word and accepting the final lightweight unification for boxing fans worldwide. Great appreciation to the Victorian Government for their patience and unwavering commitment to bringing this mega event to Marvel Stadium in the beautiful city of Melbourne. As George is proud of his Greek ancestry and Australian roots, Melbourne, which has a large and vibrant Greek community, is the perfect city for this Spartan warrior to defend his belts. Melbourne has hosted the Olympics, is home to the Australian Open, among other huge events, and Kambosos-Haney will rock Marvel Stadium.”  

“Since 2017, when George and I began working together, he had expressed his desire to fight overseas in order to accomplish his goal of winning the lightweight world title,” said Peter Kahn, Kambosos’ manager. “He said he would bring the belt, in this case, belts, back to Australia and pack a stadium for his first defense. Five years later, that is exactly what he is doing on June 4 when he faces Devin Haney for the undisputed lightweight championship of the world in Melbourne, Australia.”

Haney said, “First and foremost, I’d like to give all praise to Allah. Without him, none of this is possible. Secondly, I’d like to thank my father and trainer, Bill Haney, who is my rock, and my team and family for their support and countless sacrifices throughout this journey. Thank you to Lou DiBella, Bob Arum and ESPN for giving us this huge platform and the opportunity of a lifetime. I’d also like to give a special thanks to the Victorian Government and officials for hosting this event. I began my career fighting in small bars in Mexico. Now I’m on the cusp of greatness showcasing my skills on the world’s stage fighting for lightweight supremacy. I didn’t come this far to only come this far. Come June 4, I claim my place in history and add to my legacy! Undisputed lightweight king… I’m coming for all the belts!

“Traveling more than 8,000 miles to Melbourne is nothing compared to the journey Team Haney has been on since Devin turned pro nearly seven years ago at a pool hall in Tijuana, Mexico,” Bill Haney said. “I always knew Devin was destined for greatness. On June 4, he will show the Australian people, along with all the boxing fans around the world, that he is the best lightweight in the world. Devin is the most avoided fighter in the division. For Kambosos to step up and face the challenge is commendable. Foolish, but commendable. History will soon be made.”

“We are ecstatic to be bringing the undisputed lightweight championship to the beautiful city of Melbourne,” said Bob Arum, Chairman of Top Rank. “George Kambosos Jr. and Devin Haney demanded this fight, and it will be a historic night of boxing that will capture the attention of fans from around the world.”

“A matchup of this magnitude is destined to become the largest boxing event in Australian history, and Melbourne is undoubtedly the perfect host city with a rich history of delivering world class and globally recognized sporting event,” said David Higgins, Founder and Managing Director of Duco Events. “With the undisputed world championship of the lightweight division on the line, Melbourne will witness an epic battle of two incredible sportsmen at the peak of their powers.”  

“This will be the biggest boxing contest of the year and will bring thousands of fans to Melbourne,” said Jaala Pulford, Victoria’s Minister for Employment. 

Kambosos (20-0, 10 KOs) turned pro in 2013 and fought his first 13 bouts in Australia before embarking on a road warrior existence. He earned his shot at the lightweight title with an October 2020 victory over British former world champion Lee Selby in London. Thirteen months later, he traveled to New York City and stunned 10-to-1 favorite Teofimo Lopez by split decision in a 12-round barnburner to become the unified lightweight champion. Kambosos knocked down Lopez in the opening round, survived a 10th-round knockdown, and then came back with a furious late charge in the championship rounds to cement the victory. Kambosos won ESPN.com Upset of the Year honors for his effort, catapulted up the pound-for-pound rankings, and became an instant superstar in Australia. Rather than take a tune-up title defense, Kambosos insisted on bringing a mega-event to his homeland. He had a dream, and he turned to a 23-year-old prodigy to bring ultimate clarity to the lightweight division.

Haney (27-0, 15 KOs), a Las Vegas resident who won seven national titles as an amateur, was pegged for superstardom upon turning pro less than a month after his 17th birthday in December 2015. He made his U.S. debut in April 2016 on the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley III undercard in Las Vegas. Before he hit the legal U.S. drinking age, Haney ascended the ranks with one-sided victories over veteran contenders Mason Menard, Juan Carlos Burgos, and Antonio Moran. His knockout over Moran was picked as the ESPN.com 2019 Knockout of the Year. Haney won the WBC Interim lightweight title over Zaur Abdullaev in September 2019 and was soon elevated to full champion status. He has defended the green belt four times and has toppled former world champions in his last three outings. In 2021, Haney authored the two signature wins of his career as a Las Vegas headliner. He outboxed three-weight kingpin Jorge Linares over 12 rounds in May and followed that up with a clear points victory over former junior lightweight champion Joseph “JoJo” Diaz Jr. in December.

CORPORATE HOSPITALITY PACKAGES INCLUDING RINGSIDE SEATS

On Sale Now

www.VIPNOW.com.au

TRAVEL PACKAGES

On Sale Now

Via Keith Prowse Travel www.kpt.com.au

TICKETS WAITLIST

Tickets will go sale on Tuesday 26 April

Join the waitlist at Ticketek

www.ticketek.com.au

ABOUT DIBELLA ENTERTAINMENT 
In May of 2000, Lou DiBella launched DiBella Entertainment (DBE), a full-service sports and entertainment company, which has become one of the most successful promotional entities in boxing. Serving as matchmaker, television distributor, marketing advisor, and promoter, DiBella has developed an exciting stable of championship caliber, world-class fighters, such as Sergio Martinez, Bernard Hopkins, Jermain Taylor, Micky Ward, Deontay Wilder, and George Kambosos, among others. DBE clearly established itself as an industry leader with the successful launch of its monthly-televised “Broadway Boxing” series in November 2003. Prior to becoming a promoter, DiBella held an 11-year tenure as the Senior Vice President of HBO Sports. While at HBO, DiBella created and established the highly successful “Boxing After Dark” series, which featured some of the sport’s greatest fights. He is also a well-known fixture in the film industry, having worked as an Executive Producer for the film “Love Ranch”, as an Associate Producer on “The Fighter”, and making his acting debut in “Rocky Balboa”. He also produced or executive produced numerous documentaries, such as Viva Baseball!, Magic Man, Maravilla, Larry Flynt for President, and Tapia. The President and Managing General Partner for the Richmond Flying Squirrels baseball team, DiBella proudly wears his 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series rings, as his team is the class AA affiliate to the San Francisco Giants. In 2017, DiBella also became the CEO and Managing Owner of the Montgomery Biscuits baseball team, the AA-affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. DiBella was elected into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2020 and will be inducted in June 2022, as well as the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame in 2015.

ABOUT TOP RANK
Innovation has been the standard at Top Rank since it was established in 1973 by Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. The boxing industry’s leading promotional company, Top Rank has shaped, developed, and promoted the careers of top international pay-per-view superstars and Hall of Famers, including Muhammad Ali, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran, George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Erik Morales, Timothy Bradley, Vasiliy Lomachenko and Tyson Fury.

Known for creating strategic collaborations between athletes, sponsors, and television networks, Top Rank has been an architect of boxing’s global growth by staging high-profile events in landmark settings around the world, including Madison Square Garden, MGM Grand Garden Arena, Wembley Arena, Yankee Stadium, Radio City Music Hall, and AT&T Stadium. Top Rank has also been the leader within the boxing industry in creating unforgettable in-arena experiences for fans and embracing 21st century technological advancements to distribute world-class fights and shoulder programming across a variety of platforms.

ABOUT VISIT VICTORIA
Visit Victoria is the State of Victoria’s primary tourism, business and major events company, leading the sector in creating, curating and communicating Victoria’s inspiring experiences to maximise visitation. Established in July 2016, Visit Victoria brings the best of Tourism Victoria, Victorian Major Events Company and Melbourne Convention Bureau under one brand that capitalises on commercial opportunities in an increasingly competitive and dynamic global tourism market. The team operates in a collaborative and agile environment that informs, connects and partners with industry and the Victorian State Government to amplify Victoria’s profile.

About TEG Sport
TEG Sport is owned by TEG, a leading global live entertainment, ticketing and technology business which operates worldwide out of seven country offices. TEG also includes TEG Live, TEG Experiences, TEG Dainty, TEG MJR, TEG Van Egmond, Laneway Festival, Handsome Tours, TEG Rockefeller, Qudos Bank Arena, Ticketek, Ticketek Marketplace, Eventopia, Softix, TicketCharge, TicketWorld, Ticketek Singapore and Ovation.

Life is Better Live. Whether it’s Sport, Concerts, Musicals, Theatre or Exhibitions, nothing beats the live experience!

For more information www.teg.com.au.

DALLAS (March 31, 2022) – Unified WBC and IBF Welterweight World Champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr., a Desoto, Texas-native, declared that he is “on point” physically during a media workout in Dallas on Thursday ahead of his 147-pound title unification clash against WBA Welterweight World Champion Yordenis Ugas taking place Saturday, April 16 live on SHOWTIME PPV in a Premier Boxing Champions event from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Responding to a statement made Wednesday by Ugas’ trainer Ismael Salas that he was a “different” fighter in his first fight back after a 2019 car accident, Spence smiled and said he was now in better shape physically and mentally and that Ugas’ trainer would soon see.

Just the 12th unification fight in the rich history of the welterweight division, Spence vs. Ugas will join other classic unification matchups at the weight class such as “Sugar” Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns I and Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao. Spence will look to add a third welterweight championship belt to his resume when he returns to fight at AT&T Stadium in front of his hometown fans for the third time.

Tickets for the April 16 live event at AT&T Stadium, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Man Down Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at SeatGeek.com, the Official Ticketing Provider of AT&T Stadium.

Spence held his media workout at World Class Boxing Gym alongside his longtime trainer Derrick James. The workout streamed live on the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube Channel and can be watched in its entirety HERE. Ugas hosted a live streamed media workout on Wednesday in Las Vegas, which can be watched HERE.

Here is what Spence and James had to say Thursday:

ERROL SPENCE JR.

“I’m feeling good and I’m ready to go. This layoff was easier for me after the injury than the one after the accident because it was a lot less stress on my body. Mentally I was also prepared for what I was going to go through. I had been back in training before camp started for this fight so I’m ready.

“Even half of me would beat most of these guys at the top level. I feel great now and I’m 100%. Physically I’m on point and everything feels real regular. If Ugas’ trainer (Ismael Salas) thinks I’m a different fighter now, we’ll see in two and half weeks how different I am.

“Training camp has been great. I’ve had great sparring partners and we’ve been focused. I got a nutritionist and it’s made the weight cut much easier for me.

“I have everything in my arsenal. Whatever Ugas brings to the table, I’m ready for it. I’m going to dictate the pace and control everything. I’m making him fight my fight.

“From what I’ve seen, Ugas is very physical and very tough. He was waving Shawn Porter forward, so you know he has that fighter spirit inside of him.

“I’ve been putting in a lot of work and I’m not worried about my eye at all. It actually feels stronger than the other one. I’m just making sure that I’m 100% on point with everything.

“I’m not looking to say anything to the rest of the division. I’m going to send my message with my performance. When I have three belts, everyone is going to know what that means.

“I watched the Ugas vs. Manny Pacquiao fight live but I haven’t watched it since then. I thought the way that fight went was more because of Pacquiao being a shell of himself.

“I’ve been looking forward to this fight since I had to drop out of the Pacquiao bout. I knew I would be fighting the winner, and now I’ve got Ugas in front of me. He’s a tough champion who’s been through a lot in his life.

“I can’t sit back and fight a tune-up fight right now. I want to go straight in with the sharks. Ugas is going to push me to another level and that’s what I want. I knew that if I was fighting a tune-up I could sneak snacks in at night and stuff like that. I’m fighting someone on my level.

“Ugas is living the ‘American Dream’ and he wants to keep living the ‘American Dream’. His challenge is beating me and I want his belt.

“Those Mexican fans are a huge part of Texas and I love fighting in front of them. I’m planning on giving them the kind of amazing fight they love.”

DERRICK JAMES, Spence’s Trainer

“Camp has been great. Errol’s working hard and looking strong. We’ve had some very quick, very sharp and physical sparring partners. They’re keeping him on his toes and when he isn’t coming 100%, they’ll let him know it.

“I think the only difference with Errol between the Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia fights was the strategy and fight style he was using. Errol is doing great. We haven’t even thought about the eye. It’s not an issue.

“Errol has known this fight was coming for a long time, so he’s been training for months and months and has been prepared mentally.

“I never think about a matchup with a trainer but I’m excited to be up against a great trainer. He took down Manny Pacquiao so we’re going to be 100% ready.

“To be able to have Errol fight at AT&T Stadium is amazing because it just shows his progression and maturation as a fighter. For a young fighter like Errol, it’s a dream come true. We can’t wait.

“Other than the fight, that ring walk at AT&T Stadium is the best part of the fight. To go out there and be embraced by the fans like that, it’s crazy. It’s going to be a special moment on April 16.

“You’re going to see Errol in his top form in this fight. He’s coming to handle business. We’re not taking Ugas for granted at all. He’s very smart and has a great corner. We’re going to go skill for skill. There’s a true prize to be attained in this one.”

#

ABOUT SPENCE VS. UGAS
Spence vs. Ugas will see WBC and IBF world champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. and WBA world champion Yordenis Ugas square off in a welterweight title unification clash that headlines a SHOWTIME PPV on Saturday, April 16 from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The pay-per-view telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features exciting lightweight contender Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz taking on veteran former world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa in the 10-round co-main event.

The lineup also includes unbeaten Jose Valenzuela battling former world champion Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas in a 10-round lightweight fight, plus unbeaten Cody Crowley faces veteran contender Josesito Lopez in a 10-round duel of all-action welterweights that kicks off the telecast.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #SpenceUgas, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing and @PremierBoxing, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing and @PremierBoxing or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.